bike culture blogged

Reading the definition of McMansion Masters on Nega-Coach was even funnier after completing my first masters race of the season. The first race with the old guys is always who’s gonna cramp first. Or a big-effort suddenly reeled back with a desperate realization that, “whoa, not quite ready, better back right off … .”

My cramp was a twanging hamstring and I imagined it looking like a guitar string, buzzing after a hard, Peter-Townsend type power-cord strum. It was one pedal stroke away from snapping and I spun like a spin class, at the highest cadence I could to stay with the group. I finished the race favoring my right leg and was relieved it was over.

For cramps, I never try to ride through it, spin, soft pedal, and down all the sugar in my bottles. My worst cramp ever took me out of a finishing hill on a circuit race and I remember it vividly to this day. Pain, yelping “cramp!” and I was suddenly on the shoulder of the road limping.

What was your worst cramp and what do you do? An old-school racer, Dan Norton would recommend salt water in your bottles, but I don’t think homeopathic remedies or drinking salt is going to solve it.